Cultivators believe that growing Blue Dream is the easiest strain of marijuana to grow. It is why it has wormed its way into the hearts of Americans and made itself the darling of the populace. This is a guide on how to grow this wonder which is a Sativa-based strain.
The Blue Dream packs a high THC content which it disburses without rendering its user kaput. This is one of the reasons for its fame and high patronage. This strain originated from California and has been able to shoot its way to prominence based on the fact that it can alter moods, help creatives in their creativity and also provide an almost therapeutic calming effect and euphoria.
These properties have made it an industry favorite for both recreational and medical use. Data has shown that dollars in tens of millions are spent annually on Blue Dream purchases in states where marijuana sales and production are allowed. This has led to curiosity among consumers as to how this wonder plant is cultivated. This guide is intended to help novice cultivators to grow their Blue Dreams successfully and to guarantee high yields.
Blue Dream grows easily and tall too
When growing Blue Dream, irrespective of the experience of the grower, the plant is likely to do well as it has a very high growth ceiling especially vertically. It is also quite difficult to curtail this natural inclination. This however entails that the plant has the potential to do well whether cultivated indoor or outdoor so long as the grower fends off bad weather. For ease of explanation, this guide discusses how to grow a single plant indoors.
Where does Blue Dream grow best – indoors or outdoors?
Blue Dream plants are meant to be grown outdoors in subtropical climates as the Sativa genetics need long days and hot environments. Since most areas probably don’t meet the requirements for optimal growth outdoors, many will turn to indoor environments for these marijuana strains.
Growing blue dream cannabis means that you’re going to have a tall plant, with most phenotypes easily reaching 6 feet tall. This means extra work in the form of a trellis or staking out the branches. Low-stress training techniques such as topping work very well if you grow Blue Dream indoors.
Get Blue Dream seeds
Growers who live in states where marijuana sales and production are legal are at an advantage when seeking to purchase seeds as they are more easily accessible than in states where marijuana is illegal. While there are many advantages and disadvantages to growing from seed or clone, first-time growers are advised to use clones for their speed and usually higher disease resistance.
Also, growers are advised to use new seeds as older ones that may have to lie around for some time won’t have the same viability as new ones. Growers should try hunting seeds down at local dispensaries or farmers’ markets. There is also always the option of buying online. Where purchasing from a state where weed is illegal, purchasing online still qualifies as a crime.
Sprout seeds and get them to a light source
Before seeds are put in the ground/soil, they must first have been sprouted/prepared. To do this, the required materials are damp paper towels and small or medium-sized plastic bags. The marijuana seeds are then wrapped up in damp towels and stuck in the plastic bag. Experienced cultivators recommend that the seeds be sprinkled with organic growth (root) booster. An example of one which is readily available is Mycorrhizal. The booster acts to provide the plant with nutrients it will lack as a result of being grown indoors.
Having stuck the seeds in the bags, the next step is to stow them away in a dark and warm place to aid and facilitate the germination of the seeds. The seeds should be kept for at least 3 days after which the seeds are ready for the soil. The seeds should then be moved to the soil. This could be in containers as small as cups or as large as their growing pots. Where natural soil isn’t used, some of the organic soils premixes that can be used are; Espoma Organic Potting Mix and Roots organic.
The grower is advised to add a little booster for rapid plant root growth and development after which the container in which the plant is grown should be covered in leaves under a grow light. The best recommended for indoor single-plant growing is a 100 watt CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lighting) bulb. Alternatively, a full spectrum bulb should be used.
Important growing tips
Here are some tips that you can use when growing your own Blue Dream cannabis strains. Whether you’re growing Blue Dream outdoors or indoors, these will help you understand what the strain needs for optimal bud and terpene production.
Temperature
Keeping the temperature warmer will be what your Blue Dream plant needs to explode with new growth. The average temperature range for growing Blue Dream indoors should be between 65-85 degrees Fahrenheit depending on the stage. Here is a breakdown of the temperature needed for growing the Blue Dream marijuana strain indoors.
Seedlings: Between 72°F and 77°F
Vegetative stage: Between 72°F and 79°F
Flowering/Late Flowering: Between 80°F and 85°F
Make sure to monitor your relative humidity as higher temperatures mean more humidity. High humidity levels can lead to bud rot and other pathogens that can harm your marijuana plants.
Light
The Blue Dream strain is a photoperiod strain that responds well to an indoor light cycle of 18 hours of light to 6 hours of darkness for the seedling and vegetative stage. To initiate the flowering stage, simply switch the cycle to 12 hours on and 12 hours off. The idea is to follow the rhythms of the seasons. As the days get shorter, your Blue Dream strain would naturally flower anyway.
When learning how to grow Blue Dream, it is important to have a light with full spectrum capabilities. During the vegetative cycle, your plant loves more of the blue spectrum and when flowering, more of the red color should be provided. Many LED grow-light models are energy-efficient and provide all of the necessary light needed.
Air
Air circulation is seldom thought of as a vital part of growing indoors, but you’d be surprised at what it helps your plants with. Blue Dream seedlings need a gentle breeze to help build up their stalks for later stages when they need to support buds. This can be easily achieved with 1 or 2 small fans within your space.
Keeping the air flowing is an important defense against insects and molds. Spider mites need to get onto the leaves before they can start destroying them and a breeze stops them from gaining a good footing.
On the other hand, ensuring your plants are free from molds like powdery mildew is essential because air circulation can spread the spores throughout your garden.
Smell control
The Blue Dream strain is known for its incredibly sweet berry fragrance and can be known to fill up a room (or neighborhood) with its strong aroma. Ensure that you use a carbon filter if growing Blue Dream indoors to help mitigate some of this potent aroma. If you’re growing it outdoors, then be sure it is in a secure location as the aroma will be noticed by surrounding people.
Water
Learning how to grow Blue Dream can be tricky for beginners at first as water management becomes important, especially in the flowering stage. As with all marijuana plants, it’s best to let your growing medium dry out before applying more water.
Overwatering this perfect strain will suffocate the root system, causing stunted growth, yellowing of the leaves, and a reduced harvest. Keep a detailed notebook on how much your particular phenotype drinks to figure out the best watering times.
Nutrients
The Blue Dream strain is notorious for being a voracious eater and will devour any nutrition you give them, especially nitrogen. This means you need to develop a root system that can handle all of the nutrients you’re going to be feeding it. Adding something like mycorrhizae to the soil will promote healthy bacteria growth, which helps break down nutrients to make them more accessible for your plant.
As your plant reaches the flowering stage, you’ll need to increase the phosphorus and potassium levels to help the plant produce the sugars needed for terpene and bud growth.
Right pH level
Another important aspect of growing a Blue Dream strain indoors is to make sure you keep your pH between 5.9 and 6.4. Growing Blue Dream plants in a hydroponics setup, keep their pH around 5.5-5.9. A balanced pH prevents nutrient lockout, a problem where your plant can’t uptake the nutrition you are providing.
Staking
Your Blue Dream plants will grow as tall as the legendary super silver haze, with massive buds and colas reaching for the sun. As the flowering time reaches peak production, the buds will swell and will have trouble being held up. Using a trellis or staking system will keep your stalks supported. Simply push the stake into the growing medium and zip-tie the branch to the pole.
Transplanting
You’ll have to transplant your Blue Dream strain into larger pots throughout the growing season. As seedlings, a 1-inch pot works just fine until the first serrated leaves start to show. Once a fan leaf appears, it is time to move your seedling to a larger pot to prepare for the vegetative cycle.
Generally, growers will move their plants to a 3-gallon pot so that the roots can expand as much as possible. If you start to notice that your plant is growing too big, then you may need to transplant it a second time during the vegetative phase, depending on how long you’re extending the cycle.
Growers might transplant their Blue Dream to a larger 5-gallon or 10-gallon pot right before they switch the lights. This ensures plenty of room for any final root growth and also helps beef up the stalk for holding up the buds until harvest time.
Flowering phase
Being a photoperiod strain, Blue Dream responds to adjustments made to its light cycle. To initiate the flowering stage, simply switch your lights to a 12/12 photoperiod. This begins the hormone production that signals your plant to stop root and leaf production and focus on flowers instead.
As your plant adjusts to the new growing stage, be sure not to overwater it as any stunted growth takes longer to recover from. You’ll notice little bud growth until about week 5 when they start to swell up. The total flowering time for this strain ends up being between 8-10 weeks in total.
Harvesting
To harvest, the grower needs to take his cues from the plants themselves. For the Blue Dream, the grower is watching for the resin to turn cloudy from its growing color of white. The average yield that can be grown and cultivated properly and seen through to the end is between 4 – 6 ounces a day.
The best time to harvest your Blue Dream strain is when half of the trichomes are cloudy, and half are amber. This means that they are fully mature and starting to break down into CBN, a cannabinoid responsible for mellowing out an energetic high. Since your plant will be massive, take care not to damage any of the branches during harvest. You will have to spend a little more time drying and curing this variety since there will be so much of it.
Growing indoors will get you about 600 grams per meter squared, which is a sizable amount if you have a large growing space. Cultivating Blue Dream outdoors will get you over 21 ounces per plant if they are grown in straight soil.
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